Israel-based start-up Celleste-Bio uses a proprietary combination of biotechnology and AI to produce cocoa ingredients. Precision fermentation eliminates the dependence on cultivation of cocoa trees and will help ensure cocoa yield supply is invariable, not dependent on climate conditions, close to production sites and a final product of superior quality.
This is accomplished without genetic modification or manipulation by extracting cocoa cells from cocoa pods and growing them in a controlled setting with water and nutrients. It is a continuous cycle that repeats itself, without needing to crack open another pod.
“We want to offer people the pleasure and health that high-quality cocoa products provide, while eliminating the challenges of sustainable production that we face in cocoa production today,” said Hanne Volpin, co-founder and chief technology officer.